Chapter 3: Why Is She Here? (1)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 3: Why Is She Here? (1)
An event where space tore open, unleashing demons upon the world, was known as the opening of a ‘Gate of Demons.’
Demons were cruel, brutal, and merciless—humanity’s most dreaded enemy. To release such savage monsters, far fiercer than ordinary beasts, into the world en masse was a terror beyond imagination.
The discovery of the first Gate of Demons felt like the beginning of the end. A catastrophe of this scale was unprecedented; nothing in recorded history even came close.
Fortunately, it was soon discovered that demons were vulnerable to martial artists. With this knowledge, legions of warriors united, combining their strength with the single goal of halting the disaster the demons represented.
As years passed, the demonic hordes dwindled. Though lasting damage had been done, people began to hope—demons could be defeated.
But one problem remained: the Gates of Demons never truly vanished.
More Gates began to appear, one after another. Martial artists soon noticed a pattern: most Gates seemed to close on their own after releasing a certain number of demons.
This realization led to swordsmen being tasked with managing the Gates—a duty that continued for centuries.
One clan entrusted with this responsibility was the Gu Clan, who would come to be known as the ‘Guardians of Shanxi.’
Yet managing the Gates came with an unavoidable danger: the demons that emerged were not only powerful but viciously cruel. They destroyed everything in their path and devoured any living thing nearby. If a town lay in their way, the death toll was unimaginable.
In recent times, the threat of Gates of Demons had lessened somewhat, as people were educated and prepared for their sudden appearance.
However,
once every season, a Gate far larger than normal would appear.
This Gate released demons bigger and stronger than those from ordinary Gates—so fearsome that it earned the name True Gate of Demons.
At the site of one such Gate stood the current head of the Gu Clan.
He had finally sealed the Gate by sunset and returned to a small ceremony arranged in his honor.
Though he would have preferred a modest gathering, all blood relatives currently in the district had assembled—making it far from small.
"..."
The one to break the silence was Gu Cheolun, the clan head himself.
“I heard about the achievement.”
He spoke abruptly, without specifying whom he was addressing.
The Gu family’s first child, Gu Huibi, was already serving in the Gu army and gaining recognition. The youngest was not in the district.
And those words certainly weren’t meant for me.
That left only one person.
“Yes, I’ve reached the third realm thanks to a moment of enlightenment.”
Gu Yeonseo replied with a smile, a stark contrast to the look she had given me earlier.
“You’re progressing quickly for your age. Well done. Keep it up.”
“Thank you, Father.”
As she turned, our eyes met.
The bright smile vanished as if it had never been, replaced by a frown.
It’s like she’s looking at a bug.
Gu Yeonseo was only fifteen, yet she had already reached an impressive level of cultivation—a true testament to her talent and effort.
I had to admit it was remarkable, but the uncomfortable atmosphere left me feeling nauseous.
I have some digestive medicine in my pocket from earlier. I’ll take it after this.
At least I could eat well here—unlike in my previous life, when hardship had stolen my appetite.
I reached for a dumpling from the overwhelming spread of food, enough to threaten the stability of the table itself.
“Third child.”
…And just like that, my meal was interrupted. Sigh…
“Yes.”
I returned the dumpling to its plate.
Unlike the praise he’d given Gu Yeonseo, he simply stared at me.
Was this intentional?
“I heard you were out.”
“Pardon?”
Out? Does he mean I left the estate before his return?
Gu Cheolun watched me, waiting for a response as I scrambled to decipher his meaning and form a reply.
“Yes, I went out for a short while.”
I offered what I hoped was a harmless answer.
The only thing that could cause trouble was if I’d met Wi Seol-Ah—but that was my concern, not his.
“Hm.”
Huh?
Gu Cheolun said nothing more. He seemed to want to speak further, but I didn’t press.
Why is he acting like this?
He wasn’t usually one to hesitate.
He remained silent for the rest of the meal, and soon enough, the gloomy dinner drew to a close.
I’d tried to eat, but the constant stares stole my appetite.
After Gu Cheolun left, Gu Yeonseo departed as well—but not before shooting me another long glare.
I considered eating a leftover dumpling, but with a sigh, I set down my chopsticks and stood. My first family dinner in years had ended like this.
Still feeling unwell, I dissolved the digestive medicine in warm water and drank it.
Hopefully, I’d feel better soon.
I should lie down for a bit.
Oh, right… He told me to come to his room later.
I remembered my task—to report to Gu Cheolun’s room—and wondered why he’d summoned me.
What have I done this time? I’ve been called to his room so often for causing trouble that I can’t even guess the reason today.
I resolved to face it head-on. I must have done something to warrant this.
Just as I steeled myself—
“Young Master, the Lord left a message: ‘You don’t need to come to my room.’”
The servant delivered the message and departed immediately.
I was left alone at the table, staring blankly at the dumplings with a puzzled expression.
What in the world is going on?
* * *
In my previous life, I had longed for freedom.
I wanted to live by my own will, not by meaningless obligations.
I had chosen to extend my life by becoming a demon, but if I had known the regret that would follow, I would have ended myself then and there without hesitation.
But I didn’t, and I was forced to live a life where I couldn’t die even if I wanted to.
How I regretted it.
And how much I learned from it.
I had been too foolish to admit my lack of talent, dreaming of greatness without effort. I vented my anger on others out of arrogance and incompetence.
By the time I realized that wrath couldn’t conceal my failings, it was too late.
So when I was given a second chance, I knew I had to seize it.
I had to live differently from before.
It was a foolish form of atonement, but the only one I knew.
Because of that, my first thought after the family gathering was:
Can I kill the Heavenly Demon?
It was an absurd, almost ludicrous desire.
How dare I think such a thing? The one who defeated the three strongest beings in the world? The monster who burned two of the Ten Sect Alliance?
Anyone hearing my thoughts would surely say the same.
In truth, it was a futile notion.
The Heavenly Demon would be slain by the Celestial Sword, Wi Seol-Ah, and all demons would perish soon after.
If I’m honest, I just want to live a little longer.
But a clash with the demons is inevitable in the future.
I am still a child of the Gu Clan, however incompetent.
Can I hold off the demons alone when even the four great clans struggled?
Should I run away? Hide in the mountains where they can’t reach me—
“…How foolish, to think of running away even with this second chance.”
I shuddered at the thought.
I wanted to slap myself awake, but I feared losing my balance.
I pushed the fearful thoughts away.
After vowing to live a better life, how could I already consider throwing it away?
I clenched my teeth and made up my mind.
I didn’t know how much time had passed, but it was well past midnight.
I took a deep breath, filling my lungs, and exhaled slowly.
The breath carried a faint trace of Qi.
Such a pitiful amount…
The Qi within me was nothing compared to what Gu Yeonseo had achieved at her age.
Then again, I had put in no effort compared to her.
With the meager Qi I possessed, there wasn’t much I could do.
It may be small, but it’s a start.
There weren’t many options, but that didn’t mean I was completely powerless.
The ability to wield flame martial arts was passed down through the Gu Clan’s bloodline.
It was similar to shaping Qi into fire, but its application was unique.
With enough training, the Gu Flame Wheel Art would awaken within the body.
Years of practice culminated in the first successful technique, granting the user the visage of one surrounded by an aura of fire.
Gu Cheolun earned the nickname ‘Tiger Warrior’ because his flame-wreathed stance resembled a ferocious tiger, and he used that power to punish evil.
Likewise, Gu Yeonseo would later be called ‘Flaming Sword’ for the fiery Qi that enveloped her blade.
I, too, possessed a spark of Fire Qi within me.
I needed to reach the Fourth Star to use Gu Flame Wheel Art properly, and the seventh to engulf myself fully in flames.
I was only at the first realm.
I was nothing next to my father, who had reached the seventh realm, let alone Gu Yeonseo.
The reason I trained now, useless as it seemed in the dead of night, was that I was still young.
I had to reach the second realm before it was too late.
I may have abandoned my greed for martial arts in my previous life, but I still needed strength to protect myself.
I didn’t want to remember my life as a demon, but I used that memory to fuel my resolve.
The problem, however, was:
“…I might seriously hurt myself if I keep going.”
I gathered every wisp of Qi in my body and channeled it to a single point.
It wasn’t easy. The effort required immense focus, and manipulating such a faint stream of Qi was incredibly difficult.
Soon, I was drenched in sweat.
It was impressive I could manage even this much with my pitiful Qi, but pushing further would endanger me.
“…Whew.”
I exhaled softly afterward.
A smile touched my lips—I felt a flicker of satisfaction.
It was disappointing that I couldn’t do more, but it was a beginning.
“Not bad.”
The heat spreading through my body was a sign of progress.
Proof that I had just reached the Second Star in the Gu Flame Wheel Art.
It turned out that my lack of training had left more Qi scattered through my body than I’d thought.
“Though I’m not sure I should thank my own negligence.”
It might have been hours since I began, but breaking through to the second realm left me feeling refreshed.
“Climbing step by step like this will benefit me in the long run.”
Unable to bathe fully, I settled for washing my face, changing clothes, and collapsing onto my bed.
Not a bad start, I thought. Just keep this up…
One step at a time. But not too slowly.
I’ll break through every obstacle… if only to avoid reliving that horrible life.
Let’s avoid causing more trouble and just do the bare minimum.
I would live quietly and peacefully until everything was resolved.
My plan was to lay low until the Heavenly Demon’s death.
However…
“H-Hello! I’m W-Wi Seol-Ah!”
What is she doing here, of all places…?